Traditional currency, stocks and P2P investments are among top assets in 2022

When choosing an asset, investors follow different approaches, and each has a place to be. Analysts of the Robocash platform settled on 7 factors to determine the attractiveness of investment instruments on a large scale. In total, a list of 8 main assets was compiled based on their comparative specifics, behavior last year and forecast estimates. At the same time, each factor was assigned a number from 1 (low priority) to 3 (high priority), depending on its importance in the asset rating. For example, risk and return are much more significant in making an investment decision than than the entry threshold.

Top 8 assets ranked within various factors

* The higher the numerical value of the factor, the lower its final score: entry threshold, volatility, risk.
The higher the numerical value of the factor, the higher its final score: simplicity, liquidity, forecast, profitability.

Let's see how the assets ranked.

1. Traditional currency 

Against the backdrop of all the identified factors, a traditional currency in the form of a pair of USD / EUR turned out to be the most attractive investment at the moment. This conclusion was formed on the basis of all the identified factors.The lowest entry threshold, high liquidity, low risk, low volatility and good forecasts for further growth of the US dollar against the Euro - all this brings the currency to the first place in our top.

2. ETF shares 

The main factors that strongly influenced the result of the stock rating are risk, profitability and volatility. Stock prices directly depend on the ratio of supply and demand from stock market participants, therefore, they can change very much in short periods of time. For 2021, the S&P 500 index showed an increase of about 30% in 12 months, and from March 2020 to March 2022, it rose by a record 105%.

3. P2P lending 

This is a relatively new investment tool that has managed to establish itself as a profitable, stable and reliable asset. Do not forget about the specifics of its profitability: in the case of investing in short-term loans, profits can be reinvested, which in the long run gives a significant increase to the base interest rate. Robo.cash analysts believe that this instrument can largely replace deposits or bonds in the near future.

4. Cryptocurrencies 

On the one hand, this is the most profitable investment tool that is currently available. But on the other hand, it is also the most risky and volatile. Cryptocurrencies, in addition to the ability to generate profits on exchange rate differences, allow you to earn passive income similar to stock dividends. If you want maximum profitability, you should study the mechanisms for pricing cryptoassets in more detail to be able to assume the whole risk of losing your investment.

5. Bank deposits 

In the Eurozone, at the moment, the weighted average rate of return on deposits is -0.5%. This means that the storage of currency for EU banks is unprofitable due to its high nominal value. It follows that the main factors that put deposits in the fifth position are high stability, low rate volatility and low risks.

6. Real Estate REIT 

Oddly enough, real estate in the form of REIT funds turned out to be a much more attractive investment than precious metals or bonds. It all comes down to rising home prices in the US. For the selected rolling year, the US real estate price index rose by 22.9%. It follows that the corresponding REIT funds will show a unidirectional tendency. The average increase in the quotes of the selected funds is 14.43%, which is really a good indicator on a par with ETF funds on the S&P500 index. However, the overall low position of the asset was determined by low liquidity and complexity of use.

7. Bonds ETF

A strong factor in the low position in the ranking was the growth forecast for 2022. Most analysts agree that 2022 will be a difficult year for bonds due to planned rate hikes by world central banks in the US, England, Germany, etc. This is due to the fact that the state needs to reduce the money supply accumulated by the population during the pandemic in order to stabilize inflation. To realize this, central banks resort to raising the rate, which leads to a decrease in the market value of the bond, but to an increase in its coupon yield.

8. Precious Metals ETF

The entry threshold for precious metals is slightly higher than for real estate. In terms of liquidity, there may be problems, because the same gold bars cannot be resold to someone without notifying the bank. The average return on gold, silver, platinum and palladium is -2.9%, while the return on selected ETFs is -3.62%. The forecasts that say that precious metals will be able to fall a couple more times below the current levels due to the expected growth in the yield of other investment assets are not encouraging.

You can stick to your investment strategy and stay on top. But digging deeper, you can discover the possibilities of a particular investment instrument. It should be taken into account that there are other important factors that were not considered in this analysis, such as geopolitical risks. Meanwhile, the current unstable geopolitical situation promises the transformation of potential profitability into complete uncertainty. This study is primarily for informational purposes. Ultimately, you decide which investment tool works best for you.